Cappuccino Stout

This beer was evaluated as BJCP 2015 style 30A (Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer) with Coffee as the Spice, and the base style of 16B Oatmeal Stout (after the first taste). The beer pours a very deep mahogany with reddish highlights and a large tan head of tiny bubbles that has great head retention and leaves Belgian lace on the glass. The initial aroma is a moderate level of cold-pressed coffee, along with medium debittered roast with floral hop hints. The first taste is moderately roasty with the coffee showing up mid- and late-palate, and lingering into a medium-sweet (lactose-like) cold-press coffee finish with moderate oat levels showing as slight oily and cereal-y, but balancing out nicely. This beer features moderate carbonation and is smooth and creamy. There are hints of chocolate, but the coffee and espresso character is the star. Hops are muted in both flavor and aroma, and the bittering is fairly low, just enough to keep things balanced. The roasty character expands into black licorice and cacao nibs as the beer warms. Finishes off-dry and smooth with a lingering coffee note. Pair this beer with cheddar cheese croissants and some sweet-spicy barbecue sauced ribs.